Friday’s Headlines: Astoria Borealis Edition

Yes, everyone was freaked out about that weird blue light that turned Astoria into the set for "E.T. 2: The Return" (or not), but within a few minutes, we learned that it was just a small explosion that was not, in fact, set by Queens Community Board 2 to protest the Hoyt Avenue bike lane.

Meanwhile, here's two more reminders: Have a great weekend and click on that yellow box above to make a tax-deductible donation to keep the lights on at Streetsblog for another year.

Here's the (non-explosion) news:

• It's pretty sick when the city has to hire crossing guards — er, pedestrian safety managers — so grown-ups can get safely across car-choked streets. Unfortunately, the Times story reads like a light feature about a minor inconvenience rather than a stinging indictment of a mayor (Bill de Blasio) who won't solve the problem (cars). It's time to hold the mayor accountable for allowing suburbanites and New Jerseyans to terrorize city pedestrians. The story did not even mention congestion pricing.
• The Wall Street Journal's Paul Berger has crunched the numbers to report what the NYPD and City Hall has been saying for weeks: Traffic deaths are going to hit record lows this year. (WSJ)
• You really can't beat this Gothamist headline, "MTA Admits That 'Good Service' Depends On Your Definition Of 'Good.'"
• Look at how beautiful New York is before the cars all mess it up every day. (Gothamist)
• Is it us, or did the Times publish an op-ed that basically capitulated to the Yellow Vests?
• So, a Bronx assemblyman implicated in a racially charged school segregation scandal admitted that he has never hired a black staffer during 25-year career (NYDN), which prompted the tweet of the day from Charlie Komanoff about the Assembly Member, Jeffrey Dinowitz.
• The Straphangers Campaign gives us its annual "year-in-review" of a lousy 2018. (NY Post)
• And, finally, need any more evidence that some drivers are real jerks? (Ottawa Citizen)
• Oh, and one more thing. We also liked this tweet from Joe Nickol:

• And Justin Brannan brought this one to our attention: